Creamy Spicy Ranch Dressing

Homemade spicy ranch dressing is an easy sauce with the perfect hint of spice and creaminess. It’s the perfect salad dressing and dipping sauce for a variety of appetizers and foods. It gives your dish a boost of instant flavor. This zesty homemade dip may just become your new go-to homemade ranch dressing!

Homemade dressings aren’t always my favorite thing to make, especially with so many great store-bought options. But I have never found a spicy ranch sauce in a bottle that I really loved. I love the simple ingredients and subtle flavors of this recipe I created, and I think you will too! This spicy ranch dip is wonderful paired with my air fryer shredded beef taquitos! Or serve alongside fresh veggies and my epic crudite platter.

Jump to:

• Why this recipe works
• Ingredients
• The simple how-to
• No buttermilk? No problem
• Other ingredient and recipe notes
• Homemade Spicy Ranch Dressing

Why this recipe works

• Made with just a few simple ingredients you likely have on hand. And since I don’t always have fresh herbs, I made this with dried herbs that are always stocked in my pantry.
• Whips up in less than 5 minutes so you can get dipping and drizzling right away.
• Fresh, clean flavors. Store-bought ranch is fine, but bottled can often be too tangy, sour or just overpowering. The flavor of this dressing is light and refreshing, with the perfect bit of tanginess and heat.
• No additives or preservatives that are often found in bottled creamy dressings.

Ingredients

• Sour cream or low fat Greek yogurt if you want fewer calories
• Buttermilk – but don’t worry if you don’t have buttermilk. See tip below for how to make your own buttermilk at home!
• Dried herbs – chives and parsley, plus garlic powder
• Pickled jalapenos – these give the dressing a nice punch of heat without getting too spicy
• Pinch of cayenne – the jarred jalapenos lend a salty spice to the sauce, whereas the cayenne pepper gives that wonderful bit of warmth.
• kosher salt and black pepper to taste – but chances are you won’t need to add much at all, since the jalapenos add a good amount of savoriness.

The simple how-to

Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor, and blend till creamy. That’s all it takes to create the most delicious ranch salad dressing with the perfect bit of spicy kick. Pour into a jar or a small bowl for serving.

This homemade fresh dip is a great everyday condiment for your favorite salad. Or use it as a dip for everything from chicken tenders to chicken wings in.

No buttermilk? No problem

You can make your own buttermilk in just a few minutes. Simply add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup of milk. Stir and let it sit for about 10 minutes.

Other ingredient and recipe notes

• If you happen to have buttermilk powder, you can use that in place of fresh buttermilk. Simply add ¼ cup of powder to 1 cup milk or water to make 1 cup of liquid buttermilk.
• Swapping jarred pickled jalapenos for fresh may be a bit tricky. Jarred peppers tend to be a lot more mild and is quite salty. If you swap out for fresh, it may add too much heat without enough salt. It will take a bit of trial and error since heat levels vary with each jalapeno. You would be better off adding hot sauce instead.
• To create this fresh dip with the delicious creamy blend of herbs, feel free to sub in fresh parsley and chives if you’d prefer.
• Store sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.

Other spicy ranch mix recipes use hidden valley ranch salad dressing mix, but I much prefer the fresh flavors of this recipe than those of the seasoning mix.

I hope you love this spicy ranch dressing recipe! So many creative ways to incorporate it into your favorite meals! The fresh, natural flavor of this zesty dip just can’t be beat! If you loved it, please consider leaving a comment and/or rating below!

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